Gateway to Space: The Exhibition is being shipped!

Gateway to Space: The Exhibition is being shipped to South Africa following record-breaking attendance in Budapest, Hungary, where it ran for two months.

Gateway to Space: The Exhibition is being shipped to South Africa following record-breaking attendance in Budapest, Hungary, where it ran for two months.

“We can’t wait to showcase this phenomenal international exhibition at the Sandton Convention Centre,” says Minette Ferreira, spokesperson at Media24. “In less than two months we’ll be opening the doors from 1 June to 31 July for dreamers and enthusiasts to experience what it’s like to be in space. To date almost a million people have flocked to see this exhibition in Europe, and now it’s South Africa’s turn.”

Attendance in Budapest set a new per-month record, which broke the one set by Prague in the Czech Republic last year, says Mike Flachbart, vice-president of global space camp operations at the US Space & Rocket Centre, which put this exhibition together. To meet the demand the exhibition promoters extended the daily hours, which pushed the closing time to past midnight on many evenings towards the end of the run.

What you can expect

The biggest part of this exhibition is the 15 m life-size model of the core module of the Mir Space Station. This module served as the primary living space for the crew. Inside you’ll find the controls for the environmental systems, the station’s main engines and the altitude-control systems. One of Mir’s many records includes the longest human spaceflight by Valeri Vladimirovich Polyakov, who spent 437 consecutive days in space from January 1994 to March 1995.

Ferreira says visitors will get an opportunity to walk into this area and see the various buttons and controls of this 20 000 kg replica.

Another highlight is an original Soviet Sokol suit that went into space that’s being flown to the SA exhibition in an air-controlled case. Crews aboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft use this suit. It was first used in 1973, and is still worn on all launches to the International Space Station. This suit, which weighs about 10 kg, isn’t for use outside the capsule in the vacuum of space but protects the crew from unexpected decompression, which occurred when the Soyuz 11 departed from the Salyut 1 space station.

Book your tickets

Specific timeslots will be allocated for visitors to enter this exhibition (to keep queues to a minimum) and experience a journey to space, as well as to enjoy additional interactive sessions. Tickets are limited, so book now to avoid disappointment.

Ticket prices

Single ticket (adult): R180

Single ticket (children aged 18 months to 18 years): R120

Family package: R520 for a family of four

School packages, which include a free ticket for one adult for every booking of 20 learners, are also available. Email space@megatrav.co.za for more information or to book.